Olympics: Group C

BELGIUM Belgium, Olympic champions in 1920, will make their first appearance at the tournament for 80 years with a generation of players who could spark a revival at senior level. Jean-Francois de Sart's squad includes a number of players who are already established regulars with their clubs and have experience at senior international level. Belgium survived a tough qualifying group including Netherlands, Portugal and Israel, a 2-2 draw with their neighbors guaranteeing their place in Beijing. Players such as Hamburg SV defender Vincent Kompany and Standard Liege pair Steven Defour and Marouane Fellaini look set to play a big part in the future for Belgium, who have not qualified for the World Cup since 1998 and last appeared in the European Championship when they co-hosted the event in 2000. However, the players have already... [read full story]